By Caroline Schelle
Popular immersive art experience The Lume will not be taking bookings for any events from mid-next year and will end its run at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre in 2026, according to a letter sent to staff.
The Lume is known for its inventive use of projections. Its inaugural exhibition centred on artist Vincent van Gogh and allowed visitors to feel as though they were walking through the works themselves. It is bringing back that experience from Boxing Day this year.
How the Lume Van Gogh exhibition by Grande Experiences will look in Melbourne.
It also held exhibitions featuring the works of French impressionist Claude Monet and Renaissance master Leonardo da Vinci.
It created immersive experiences using 143 high-definition projectors to display artworks across 3000 square metres of white carpet and up the 11-metre-high walls of the Convention and Exhibition Centre at South Wharf.
Owner Bruce Peterson told staff about the decision not to renew the digital art gallery’s lease at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) in an email sent on Friday afternoon.
In the email, Peterson said it was a complex but pragmatic decision for the company, adding that it had achieved high customer ratings since it opened in November 2021.
“All good things must come to an end though, and often the difficulty is knowing when to call time,” the email, seen by this masthead, reads.
Peterson said he had wanted The Lume to “go out on top”, but noted there were significant headwinds facing the company.
This included challenging economic conditions in Melbourne, the cost of reinvesting in technology and ongoing “challenges to the suitability of MCEC as a ... venue”.
“The Lume Melbourne as it currently presents itself at MCEC unfortunately does not form part of that future,” Paterson wrote in the email to staff.
Lume owner Bruce Peterson inside one of its exhibits which focused on Leonardo da Vinci. Credit: Jason South
However, he said the Lume’s main shareholder was about to embark on a “totally new direction ahead”, which would focus on new digital formats and touring attractions.
The letter also noted that it was too early to say if the company planned to replace The Lume with a different experience in Melbourne from 2026.
But it will continue to reopen its popular Van Gogh experience which will be unveiled on Boxing Day this year. That will feature new “shared virtual reality” experience as part of the immersive art piece, the website states.
From mid-May next year the company would not take any further bookings, he confirmed in the letter.
“The Lume’s lease with MCEC was due to end in January 2026, and as such, we have made the decision to not renew the lease beyond that time,” a statement from the company said.
The Lume team was focused on delivering the existing Leonardo da Vinci experience and preparing for the return of the Van Gogh projections for Boxing Day, the company said.
On Tuesday, MCEC chief executive Natalie O’Brien said the venue would continue to work closely with the Lume until the final experience ended.
“We acknowledge THE LUME’s decision to leave MCEC at the end of their contract in 2026, and will continue to work closely with the team until their final experience concludes.”
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